Alberta’s updated Plan for Parks aims to enhance conservation and recreation on provincial lands, focusing on collaboration with various stakeholders. While it emphasizes parks for public enjoyment, there are concerns about the lack of detail on conservation efforts and the role of the Crown Land Recreation and Conservation Strategy, which prioritizes development over true conservation.
by Patsy Cotterill
Alberta’s new Plan for Parks, released in January 2026, is an update of the previous plan of 2009. It covers only those public lands that fall under the jurisdiction of the Provincial Parks Act, i.e., Provincial Parks, Wildland Parks and Provincial Recreation Areas, not other types of Crown land, including other Protected Areas. Hence, we must judge it as conservation-minded Albertans rather than it being of direct relevance to SAPAA.
- An Improvement over De-listing (a very low bar)
- High Level, Low Details
- More Details Please
- See CPAWS
- SAPAA Linkages
An Improvement over De-listing (a very low bar)
The Plan does at least suggest that the government is prepared to accept its responsibility for administering parks and maintaining the provincial natural legacy they represent, a far cry from the proposal to de-list parks and protected areas of a few years ago, although increased collaboration with various partners, non-profits, municipalities and Indigenous peoples is also an envisioned part of the plan.
High Level, Low Details
It is difficult for the lay person to evaluate a high-level plan such as this which serves more to indicate government direction and thinking rather than what might be implemented and appear on the ground. However, my impression is that there is a heavy emphasis on the “parks for people” concept while conservation is considered important, not for ecosystems for their own sake, but more as it ensures a good nature experience for people.
There are proposals to create new parks and expanding existing parks, but particularly in high-use or under-served locations, an acknowledgment of the pressures created by Alberta’s growing population rather than a conservation need. There is a nod to conserve under-represented or threatened ecosystems, but no detail on how this might be done, except possibly by appropriate management, for example of fires, invasive species, and by undertaking research.
More Details Please
Some statements in the Plan beg for further clarification such as “Integrate provincial park system” needs with landscape level planning initiatives where applicable, such as Land Use Framework (LUF) regional and sub-regional planning.“ My understanding is that the Land Use Framework Plans, once a widely publicized process involving much stakeholder collaboration, are in permanent pause, so how is this to be achieved? The LUF plans were also supposed to be the means for creating new conservation areas.
One cannot quarrel with a stated goal to “collaborate across governments to evaluate cumulative effects within parks and across the broader Crown land interface” and this might have some relevance to SAPAA. Yet what is meant by the goal to “Integrate the Alberta Parks and Protected Areas Management Effectiveness Program” with the Plan. Who knew of such a program? Could this have any pertinence to Natural Areas?
See CPAWS
To get an expert opinion on the Plan I deferred to the CPAWS website entry. CPAWS North and South chapters express concern generally that conservation is not a priority and query the government’s intent to modernize the Provincial Parks Act.
They draw attention in particular to the Crown Land Recreation and Conservation Strategy (also dated January 2026), which is intended to complement the Plan for Parks. They criticize its “broad language”, lack of emphasis on public engagement and Indigenous co-management and an approach that would promote development and activities that run counter to conservation.
Recreation as Far as the CPAWS can See
Indeed, it takes only a brief glance at the Strategy to realize it is all about recreation and a desire to “create economic benefits from recreation,” echoing the theme of the Ministry of Forestry and Parks since its inception. It does not disguise the fact that the Strategy aims to be all things to all people: “Alberta’s government will continue to support responsible development, enhanced conservation of our natural spaces, as well as opportunities for deliberate investment and strategic growth.”
A complement to the Plan for Parks or a major influencer? It is interesting that none of the illustrations in the document depict “nature-based” recreation, such as bird-watching or botanizing or dark-sky viewing!
SAPAA Linkages
What is the significance of all this for SAPAA’s interests? Note that the Crown Land Recreation and Conservation Strategy refers to all Crown land, that is, lands covered under the Wilderness Areas, Ecological Reserves, Natural Areas, and Heritage Rangelands Act and the Willmore Wilderness Act, and lands falling under the Public Lands Act, as well as the parks under the Provincial Parks Act covered by the Plan for Parks. It is therefore potentially of greater interest to SAPAA.
The Strategy’s stated goals are enable diverse outdoor recreational opportunities; sustain environment and ecological function; and empower and enable partnerships. In contrast, as well as aligning with these goals, the Parks Plan bears the brunt of conserving Alberta’s natural and cultural legacy and providing “nature-based experience.”
SAPAA Asks…
Could Natural Areas be given a higher profile under the Strategy to provide nature-based experience and could we expect better access and overall management to those sites that offer such possibilities? Could sites currently under Protective Notation (PNT) be upgraded to a higher level of conservation?
With the initiative to consider reinstating the Volunteer Steward Program falling through, and little sign of recognition of the value of natural areas frequented by naturalists, evidence for this is lacking. The best we can hope for is benign government neglect of these areas, even as SAPAA promotes their value. Reviewing and updating the WAERNAHR Act and its regulations could help to strengthen the conservation strategy for these areas.
References
- Crown Land Recreation and Conservation Strategy, 2026.
- Alberta Plan for Parks, 2026.
- Alberta Parks, January 28, 2026. Plan for Parks.
SAPAA 